An Introduction to Content Marketing
What does content marketing really mean?
If you had to explain content marketing, could you clearly lay out what it is—along with the key characteristics and the tools you need to put in place to hit your goals?
We’re sharing this content to help you better understand it so you can truly master it. The most common definition is: “Content marketing is an editorial web strategy built on creating and distributing content.”
Great—but how do you actually do it? Which channels should you use? What tone and style should you adopt? How do you distribute your content? Is it always paid? And how do you reach the right audience?
Those are all valid questions, but for the moment, set them aside so you can first understand your approach and prioritize what matters. Step by step, you’ll be able to create the right content and choose the most effective channels to meet your short-term or ongoing objectives.
This week, we’re introducing the different types of media you can use. They’re often grouped under the simple acronym POEM, which breaks communication channels into three categories:
- Paid media
- Owned media
- Earned media
Now let’s dive into POEM in more detail.
Paid media
If you want to reach new audiences—and you have budget available—paid media can be a smart way to access qualified audiences and distribute your content more broadly. Here are a few examples:
- A sponsored post on a social platform (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
- A post published through an influencer’s channels
- A segment or feature on a TV show
These placements are an investment, and they can pay off quickly. We’ll cover how to calculate ROI (return on investment) in a future article titled “Content Is ROI.” Whether or not you choose to pay for distribution is entirely your call.
Owned media
Owned media simply means your channels. You create them, you run them, and you control them 100%. With this approach, you don’t have to pay to publish your content. That said, when you look at profitability, you should absolutely factor in the time spent producing your content—whether it’s written content (articles, microblog posts, white papers, short-lived content on Snapchat, Instagram Stories, etc.) or video, photo, and audio formats.
In other words, you’re in the driver’s seat. It’s up to you to build your own audience so you can reduce your reliance on audiences you don’t own—whether those audiences are paid for or must be earned. And don’t forget: publishing consistently on your website improves your organic search rankings and strengthens your brand image. Here are clear examples of owned media:
- Your website
- Your blog
- Your newsletter
…those are all your owned channels.
Earned media
Earned media refers to channels you don’t own—but also don’t pay for—because you’ve earned exposure and audiences on platforms like Facebook. When someone shares your article, they’re signaling to others that your content has value and that it’s worth sharing with their own audience.
Sometimes, that’s how buzz starts. Your video gets shared again and again—and suddenly it goes viral. That’s your moment in the spotlight, especially if a major media outlet decides to pick it up and amplify it too. Jackpot. The holy grail for any marketer… Le Graal de tout Marketeur…
We’d be happy to meet with you and provide guidance.
